The Salins Waterfall

de fr

A very pleasant short walk to discover the Salins waterfall, the Monzola stream and the village of Salins, mostly in the shade of the undergrowth. There are many points of interest along the route to keep children interested (waterfall, rope bridge, river, etc.).
The path is fully marked in blue. A huge thank you to the Communauté de Communes du Pays de Mauriac for developing and maintaining this walk.

Details

n°36677913
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 1.76 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 308 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 305 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,277 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,969 ft
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Photos

waterfall
Salins Church
monkey bridge
Salins Waterfall

Description of the walk

Park in the car park by the waterfall, located on the edge of the D922 before entering Salins.

(S/E) Take the path that starts at the end of the car park, after the information sign. After 100 m, take the gate on the right. The path then descends quite steeply and the waterfall appears! Be careful, the path is slippery.

(1) Once you have passed the waterfall, continue along the path until you reach the rope bridge.

(2) Cross the bridge and continue along the path through the woods alongside the Auze river. Again, you can't go wrong: just keep going straight ahead until you reach the micro hydroelectric power station.

(3) Follow the track on the right that climbs back up to the village of Salins. In the village, take the road on the left that leads to the church.

(4) Continue along the road (which you will not leave again), pass a crossroads where you have to make a short first turn left then right turn and continue uphill towards the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 2,274 ft - Waterfall car park (D922)
  2. 1 : mi 0.23 - alt. 2,208 ft - Salins Waterfall
  3. 2 : mi 0.48 - alt. 2,221 ft - Suspension bridge
  4. 3 : mi 1.07 - alt. 1,969 ft - Monzola micro-hydroelectric power station - Auze (rivière) - Affluent de la Dordogne
  5. 4 : mi 1.35 - alt. 2,116 ft - Salins Church
  6. S/E : mi 1.76 - alt. 2,277 ft - Waterfall car park (D922)

Notes

Be careful of slipping near the waterfall.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 12 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
Krysbald
Krysbald
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 24, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

SAFETY AND ENHANCEMENT WORKS UNTIL 31 MARCH 2026.
Until that date, the waterfall itself is inaccessible.
As for the work on the section from the starting point to the waterfall, we’ve decided to tackle it in reverse. I agree with Manu8272; it’s much more interesting in the opposite direction, because in the direction indicated on the guide, between the suspension bridge and the micro-hydroelectric power station, you have your back to the ‘spectacle of nature’ (whirlpools, numerous mini-waterfalls over rocky chaos, etc.) and, what’s more, you save the best (suspension bridge + waterfall) for last.
I also agree with several of the previous comments: this hike is not “easy” but of moderate difficulty: in places, it is indeed technical: the guide mentions the steep section at the start just before the waterfall, but it should also mention the steep section immediately after the suspension bridge (or before it when going the other way): it is all the more challenging because, on this section, there is no proper path to speak of, but rather a steep, uneven rocky surface. (BE CAREFUL in wet weather!)
On the day we walked it, we also encountered two fords where (although safe apart from the risk of getting your feet wet) the hiker’s skill and agility are put to the test.
Out of respect for the landscape architects currently working on the site, we chose not to go beyond the suspension bridge and turned back (missing out on the waterfall), thus taking the walk in the direction indicated this time (far less interesting, in our opinion).
At point 3, it says “In the village, turn left onto the road leading to the church”: apart from the church itself, we saw no particular interest there (admittedly, this takes you past the town hall, but it offers nothing architecturally remarkable); this detour to the left is rather pointless (in our view) and it is shorter and more interesting, once you reach the bottom of the village, to head back up to the right to join the road leading back to the car park.
Especially as this final stretch is a constant uphill climb from the micro-power station to the car park and seems, even if you cut across to the right, rather long!
By comparison, if you do the hike in the opposite direction, the steep slope that follows the waterfall—which you almost have to ‘climb’ in this direction—will certainly ‘wear out’ your legs, but over a shorter distance!

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Pat_Vosges
Pat_Vosges

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk to discover the waterfall. Passing under the waterfall is particularly pleasant.
Crossing the bridge is another highlight of this route.
Be sure to wear good walking shoes.

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Manu8272
Manu8272

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful short hike, but a little technical nonetheless. Be sure to wear good shoes.
I would recommend doing this hike in reverse to save the best for last.
For our part, it was a big disappointment to see the waterfall dry up during this period of drought! But the hike was still enjoyable.

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oualent
oualent

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 23, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A great hike below the road, without anyone knowing that such a place exists. The route is a little technical due to the steep descent, but nothing too difficult. The waterfall is magnificent, and you walk underneath it, which is quite rare. A surprise halfway through the route makes us feel like Indiana Jones-worthy adventurers... Thank you for this discovery.

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mickeyhead
mickeyhead

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant walk with children and well known in the region. Please note that it is currently closed for route renovation until 17/02/25.

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Wills01
Wills01

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Wow! What a beautiful waterfall, and you can even walk behind it... that's not something you see every day... I highly recommend it!

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papyrus54
papyrus54

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This hike is very beautiful and unique, with a passage behind the waterfall.
Please note that the rocky path can be dangerous in wet weather.

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Pascale72
Pascale72

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A superb walk! We passed under the waterfall without any problems, even though the flow of water was impressive.
Walking shoes are highly recommended to avoid slipping.

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Angel871217
Angel871217

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

Passing under the waterfall seems dangerous/impossible, particularly due to the strong current (slippery rocks, no protective barrier). Many people have turned back!
It's a shame because the site is truly magnificent.

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papyrus54
papyrus54
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 04, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This hike is short and very beautiful.
The first part is not easy: a steep descent through chaotic terrain, then a passage behind the waterfall and over a rope bridge, followed by a narrow path, before returning to the opposite bank. The rest is very accessible and just as exotic.

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Vstrom
Vstrom

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 14, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike starting from Mazerolle, continuing on from the "Sentier du Catou" trail: it was well worth the detour as this short hike is magnificent! The passage behind the waterfall and the suspension bridge over the rocky chaos are two of the highlights of this very exotic walk. However, I would rate it as "average" rather than "easy" because the path is narrow in places, slippery (be especially careful after a rainy day) and unstable on scree.
We had a wonderful time there.

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MathSPC62
MathSPC62
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike that passes behind the waterfall. A very pleasant route, but be careful in wet weather as the stones are very slippery on this steep terrain.
The route was not very busy because it was raining when we did it.
Well worth the detour.

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